The Walmart Supercenter in Manning launched its online grocery pickup on May 9. With more than 30,000 items to choose from, grocery shopping can now be done from the comfort of your own home. Toiletry items such as shampoo or bath soap; consumable paper goods such as paper towels, toilet paper or paper plates; food items including frozen foods, fresh vegetables and meats; pet items and some over-the-counter pharmaceuticals are now available with the click of a mouse.
A team of eight designated shoppers will pick groceries for Manning customers. They have been extensively trained on product quality, availability and expiration date assessment, with produce and meats chosen for freshness. “They’ve been training hard and they’re ready to go,” said Manning’s Ecommerce Assistant Manager Cristal Cook. “They’re excited and we’re excited, and they want to tell everybody about it.”
The process is simple. Go to www.grocery.walmart.com. Sign in or create an account and input your zip code to select the Manning store. Next? Shop, shop, shop. Manning store sales won’t be missed, as all local sales prices will be mirrored in Manning’s online store. “We’re doing it at the price the manning customer has come to expect, and the service is absolutely free,” said Amarie Whyte, Walmart’s ecommerce manager for the area.
Need to shop gluten free, Paleo, vegetarian, non-dairy, Atkins or Weight Watchers? Go to the “Shop by Department” tab and click “Special Dietary Needs.” This will filter your searches, allowing you to streamline your meal planning while meeting your specific needs.
You may choose to accept substitutions, should an item be out of stock. “If the item is not available, we will substitute bigger, better, or more. That’s kind of our saying: Bigger, better, more,” said Whyte. In the event of a substitution, the designated shopper will verify each substituted item with you when your order arrives at your car.
If you prefer a mobile device, there’s an app for that. Download the Walmart Grocery app, and you can browse or search aisles by department, quickly reorder “favorites” and add items in the app and pay either in the app or from another device. The app will even use your location to find the closest store and will assist with the pick-up process.
With the ability to designate someone else to pick up the groceries, now parents can shop for children who no longer live at home, sons and daughters can shop for aging parents and shut-ins or home-bound residents can shop and have an aide pick up the groceries.
Once a minimum of $30 worth of items have been chosen, a pick-up time is selected at checkout. This time can be as far out as six days or as close as same-day pickup, provided time slots are available. The service is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
“We are very happy to have this in the Manning location and proud we can offer it as a service to the Manning community,” said Whyte. “It really does change people’s lives.”
